Clay Aiken Running for Congress in North Carolina, Releases First Campaign Video

From American Idol to Congress? On Wednesday, Feb. 5, Clay Aiken officially announced he's running for Congress in North Carolina. The 35-year-old American Idol alum released his first campaign video, revealing his intentions to take Republican Rep. Renee Ellmers' House of Representatives seat in North Carolina's second district.

"This is what's wrong with Washington -- that a congresswoman would go there and vote against the best interests of North Carolina military families, and those who depend on the military for their jobs," Aiken said of Ellmers. "To do it when you know it's wrong is even worse. And to do it because your national party told you to, that's what convinced me, in the end, that if I didn't try to do something about it, then I couldn't complain if no one else did. "

American Idol's Clay Aiken has officially announced he's running for Congress in North Carolina -- watch his campaign video!

"I'm not a politician. I don't ever want to be one," the singer continued. "But I do want to help bring back, at least to my corner of North Carolina, the idea that someone can go to Washington to represent all the people, whether they voted for you or not. And maybe we can play a small part in igniting that change across the rest of our country. This is why I'm running for Congress."

Reports surfaced last month that Aiken was considering a run for Congress. The Washington Blade claimed the American Idol second season runner-up consulted with political operative Betsy Conti, who worked for former Vice President Al Gore and former North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue.